But other parents believe the new system will prove fairer and will stop popular schools becoming the preserve of a privileged minority who can afford to buy houses nearby.

Petra Sumner, who is in favour of the new system, said schools were not evenly distributed throughout the city.

"If you live in central Brighton and Hove or east Brighton, there are always going to be people who live nearer to your nearest school.

"For example, my son , who's is Year 6, his year group will be sent off to seven different schools this year if last year's anything to go on."

Equal opportunity

The government's new admissions code is intended to make the process fairer by making it harder for schools to select brighter, wealthier pupils by the back door.

Ministers believe it would give poorer pupils a better chance of getting into better schools, which are often in wealthier districts.

Across England other local authorities are considering their responses to the new admissions code.

On Thursday, around 1.2 million parents will learn if they have succeeded in getting their children into the school of their choice.

The Daily Telegraph said its research showed 200,000 pupils may miss out on their first choice secondaries this year, with some schools reporting 10 pupils competing for each place.

It says around a third of all applicants in some parts of the country will fail to get a preferred place.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education and Skills said: "Record investment has delivered more good schools and increased parental choice and through our Education Act we are raising standards and ensuring fair access for parents.

"Random allocation is one criteria that schools may use to allocate places at oversubscribed schools to give pupils fair and equal access."